The Wireless Festival has been hit with another major sponsorship withdrawal as drinks conglomerate Diageo follows Pepsi in cutting ties over the controversial booking of Kanye West as this year's headliner.
Diageo, the global beverage company behind brands including Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, announced on April 6, 2026, that it would be withdrawing funding from the London music festival. This comes just one day after Pepsi—the festival's primary sponsor since 2015—terminated its partnership, removing its branding from what was previously called 'Pepsi MAX presents Wireless.'
The sponsorship exodus follows widespread condemnation of West's scheduled performances across all three nights of the festival in Finsbury Park this July. The rapper, who now goes by Ye, has faced intense criticism for his history of anti-Semitic remarks and public expressions of support for Nazi ideology.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voiced his concerns, stating it was "deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous anti-Semitic remarks and celebration of Nazism." London Mayor Sadiq Khan also spoke out against the decision, alongside prominent Jewish organizations including the Jewish Leadership Council and the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism.
Former Chancellor Sajid Javid, who chairs the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, added to the criticism, suggesting that if Wireless doesn't cancel the shows, he was "certain" the Home Secretary would block West from entering the UK.
The festival organizers have described West's performances as a three-night journey through his "most iconic records," but the booking continues to generate significant backlash from political figures, advocacy groups, and now major corporate sponsors who are distancing themselves from the event.